Okay, I’ve accepted it, finally! Always takes me a while to get into the swing of the change of seasons. The toy box of board games has an open-lid once more. The books are steadily streaming off the shelves for the girls and I faster than I can put them back. The indoor retreats of the library, museum, rec centre, swimming pool and play spaces are my new home. When the sun shines and the wind takes a break we absolutely devour the moments at the playground, gardens and beach. It’s okay!
The garden is resting, the silver birch tree (my one, of few, deciduous signals in our garden) is gripping onto its last few leaves of autumn, ready to take a break till the new buds of spring.
A kind man is coming (SOON…) to fix our under-floor heating to make trips to the bathroom so much more pleasurable.
Thursday night’s are welcomed with late-night opening at Te Papa and a meet up with Dan after work. And my visit this evening reminded me of the upcoming ‘Matariki Festival‘ (Maori New Year). Come on, people of New Zealand, it’s time for a public holiday in mid-winter. We so need a reason to put up the fairy lights (in honour of the small cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, in the Taurus constellation), fly kites and acknowledge the winter solstice (check out the events at Stonehenge Aotearoa)! In only a month the shortest day will be upon us and the nights will (albeit, slowly!) start getting lighter again… before we know it spring will return with a blaze of tulip festival glory in the Botanical Gardens (can you tell I’ve been sipping Merlot, excessively, this evening?!).
I’m even feeling tempted to do some baking (promising Charli some ‘Moon crater’ cookies to take into school for her Monday calling of… “Here’s something I made!” – and it’s a ‘Space theme’ – perfectimenso!).
Charli had afternoon tea in the staff-room with the Principal this ‘avo (just LOVE her school and how the amazing Principal makes himself so incredibly approachable to the children and gives them his absolute heart and soul).
Sophie is thriving on play-dates in the morning and quiet time in the ‘avo to paint, build and bath her babies (whilst I do my chores – I’m getting so good at scrubbing!).
My highlight of the week, thus far, has been donning roller-blades (twice!) at the rec centre for a work-out – other parents look at me as though I’ve lost the plot – and they’d be right!
Yah! I’ve finally adjusted. I’m in the winter flow and I know this ‘down-time’ is so needed to allow for full appreciation of the non-stop spring through summer festivities that Welly puts on for its game citizens.
The southern right whales are beginning to make their way through our waters, from their summer feeding grounds in Antarctica, to warmer climates and all I can think of is those poor Emperor Penguin fathers trying to keep their baby eggs off the ice!
Won’t be long before we are game enough to brave a trip up to Ohakune for some snow action on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu. Plenty of fun events on for a weekend away – not forgetting the ‘Carrot Carnival‘ at the end of July and the Ohakune Mardigras on Saturday 27 June.
Bring it on! I’m going to laugh in the face of school drop-offs in howling southerlies and grin and bear it! xxxx
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That’s the spirit Sarah love….the little bulbs and trees need time to sleep and revive for a glorious Spring….Winter has its magic too, although we find it hard here. More goodies on their way to fill a wet morning but then again your talent to bring up new ideas never fail us. Rug up with the books and good to hear the heating man is coming !!
Thanks Mum. Feeling good (and layering up big time to keep warm!) x
I love this blog Sarah. What a positive attitude to winter, one we should all take on board! And I think the idea of a national mid-winter celebration is a fantastic idea. Perhaps if we start a Facebook group and get enough people on the bandwagon we can make it happen hey ;-). I mean if they can bring back Georgie Pie surely we can get some festive spirit happening in the depths of winter!
xxx Meg
Meg, I think you are onto something with the Facebook group! I’ve been scouring the events listings in Welly to see if anything is on. Te Papa has heaps going on – but I thought maybe The Southern Cross or somewhere would be doing something. Will keep looking – otherwise, party at my place!… though I have a little Miss 5 going on 6 Birthday party to organize for the end of June – a full Star Wars spectacular!
Not sure I’m in the same groove yet! I have a few more chores to finish outside and this is making me frustrated. Sounds like you have it sussed though with all the indoor things.
Hoping finer weather comes soon for you Julie so you can get to those super duper gardening chores. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for Spring (no pressure like!). xx
I can’t believe that there isn’t a public holiday for mid-winter. I’d definitely be celebrating the lengthening days. Charli’s Headteacher sounds great, see if you can ask him if he needs a teacher for Jan 2010, it sounds like just the sort of school I’d enjoy working in. I love the idea of you roller blading with the kids, I’ve given away the boys’ blades or I could be practising in the yard but I’m not very well co-ordinated so that might be a recipe for disaster. Not too sure how ‘I’ve sprained my ankle roller blading .’would go down at work.
Oh Ruta, I think you’d love Charli’s school too! Unfortunately I don’t think there’s any vacancies coming up, but you never know! Sophie is continuing to take her roller blading to extremes – preferring wheels to normal shoes! We went past the ‘shed’ on the waterfront where Starlight Express are rehearsing and various cast members were giving Sophie the thumbs up as they came in and out the well sealed doors. I would love to take her to see the show – only she’d want to join in!
I can’t agree more that a mid-winter holiday is in order. Would that make you feel more at home? I wonder how long it takes before you don’t think England is home?
We’ve been here just 3 months, so I’m most certainly still an Englishman.
Good blog, I’ll be popping by.
Will
Hi Will, thanks for popping by. Ah, they’ll always be a touch of nostalgia for me (and I’m 12 year’s in). I guess I do struggle with the seasonal differences. To me Christmas and Winter are just perfect together. There’s little work to be done in the garden (except for picking up leaves) so that leaves ample time for baking, cooking, home crafts and lots of eating. We’ve found our Summer Christmases have become increasingly low key. There’s not much point in fairy lights when you have to wait till 10pm to see them!